


La douleur exquise

by Mifune



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Tsukiyama as a jazz musician
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 07:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2540258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mifune/pseuds/Mifune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaneki didn't imagine who was patiently awaiting for him, through lives and lives...</p>
            </blockquote>





	La douleur exquise

**Author's Note:**

> I saw something in Tumblr about being canon that Tsukiyama can play the piano really well and I wanted to try writing in English again.  
> This fic is un-beta'd, so any mistake is mine and mine alone.  
> Dedicado a Doña Ritsu.

> _“His face contained for me all possibilities of fierceness and sweetness, pride and submissiveness, violence, self-containment. I never saw more in it than I had when I saw it first, because I saw everything then. The whole thing in him that I was going to love, and never catch or explain.”  ―_ Alice Munro.

 

It's a cold night. The winter is surely approaching and we feel when the temperature slowly starts to descend. Somehow, from our unattainable side of the world, the city seems alive; even though is midnight, the city won't stop. And when we think about it, it all makes sense.

We start to slowly descend in some point of the city. There aren't many people in the street, so it makes our search easier. We suddenly keep our eyes on some boy crossing the street. He doesn't seem special in any form, but we follow him, anyway.

After walking three blocks from where we noticed him, he suddenly stops in front of a bar. He looks nervous and hides his hands in his pockets. Then, after a few minutes of indecision, he finally enters and we follow him.

The bar isn't a common bar. It's a jazz bar. The music is loud but nice, and the atmosphere is cozy, with all the voices speaking low. The boy we followed there seems younger. The dim lights emphasize his almost child-like features.

"Touka-chan!" he murmurs and his voice is sweet, gentle. We like it. His gaze is now fixed in some girl behind the counter.

He approches to the girl with a sweet smile. The girl doesn't return the smile but she seems glad to see him. The boy takes seat in front of her and orders a soft drink.

"Kaneki, I didn't expect to see you here so soon" says the girl called Touka. Now we now the name of the boy we've been following. Kaneki.

"When you told me about your new job I felt like I needed to come" Kaneki replies, still smiling. He takes a sip from his drink and continues. "So, how is it going? Do they pay well?"

Touka furrows her brown. "Nah... You see, there's something here that doesn't make any sense"

"How come?" asks Kaneki.

Touka leans towards Kaneki. "Ok, do you see the piano in the other side?"

"Yeah"

"Can you see the person playing it?"

Kaneki tries to see the person behind the piano, without success. There are a lot people covering his view, and the only think he can almost see is a radiant purple hair.

"They have purple hair" says Kaneki almost laughing.

Touka furrows her brown even more. "I don't like him"

"Why? Is he a really bad person? I can't even imagine a bad person with purple hair that plays the piano" jokes Kaneki.

But Touka doesn't smile and looks at him death serious.

"I'm serious"

"He's good at playing the piano, at least"

Yes, the music he's playing is relaxing and making us really happy. We don't want to stop listening to it. Kaneki tries to look at the man behind the piano again but the crowd won't let him. The curiosity suddenly hits him and now he can't stop thinking about the pianist.

So, in the middle of his curiosity, he gets closer to the scenary, dodging the crowd, and we follow him. When we realize where Kaneki is, it might be too late. He's now sit in one of the closer tables to the scenary, and he can't look away from the pianist anymore.

The music vibrates, it's even more alive than before. We reach Kaneki and...

The pianist is a tall man, and his hands are beautiful, with long and elegant fingers. His purple hair and that ridiculous suit he's wearing make him seem extravagant. And we realize the pianist is looking at Kaneki.

Their gazes meet continually, and we notice the irregular breathing from Kaneki. Then, we look at the pianist, and smile.

The music increases, the rhythm and the husky voice that is singing. The song ends with a high note and leaves us with a strange emotion that we can't describe. And as soon as the music finish, Kaneki snaps out of his trance and gets up. He's blushing.

He walks in the crowd and he surely is hoping not to see the pianist anymore. But too bad, because when we start to follow him, the pianist goes down of the stage and searches Kaneki in the middle of the crowd.

Kaneki isn't a special guy. He's not specially handsome or intelligent or funny. Then why...?

The pianist holds him from the arm. He's not letting him go. Kaneki looks desesperate.

"Won't you stay? I'll buy you a drink if you stay for another song" says the pianist, and his voice is soft.

Kaneki panicks.

"B-But..."

"Just another song. Please?" his voice is lower than before. Kaneki doesn't look him at the eye, but silently nods and recovers his place.

The next and last song is a love song.

Kaneki holds his breath as the piano starts. The singer is singing low, with his husky voice flooding the bar. And he can't avert the eyes from the scenary. We hold our breath as well, because the song is increndibly passional and romantic. We don't know what the song means because it's in French, but we enjoy it.

The pianist looks at Kaneki, as well. They haven't stopped looking at each other since the beggining of the song.

Finally, when the song ends, Kaneki gets up again but a voice stops him from go. It's the pianist. The man goes down the stage and approaches Kaneki with a smile.

"May I know your name, _mon cher_?" the pianist asks.

"Kaneki Ken" answers the boy.

"That's a cute name" he flatters. "My name is Tsukiyama Shuu. Nice to meet you, Kaneki-kun"

Kaneki is nervous, but the man named Tsukiyama won't let him go easily. He takes Kaneki to the counter and orders the most expensive wine they have.

"Did you like the song, Kaneki-kun?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"I'm glad" says Tsukiyama as he takes a sip of wine.

"Why... Why did you ask me to stay?" Kaneki looks flustered.

"You reminded me of someone I know" Tsukiyama's eyes suddenly get clouded with sadness and melancholy.

"Is he... someone closer to you?"

Tsukiyama looks at him.

"I... I don't know... I felt like I knew you since long ago" Tsukiyama sighs "Isn't it weird? I can't remember where I saw your face, but I feel like I have known you forever. And when I saw you, I felt like something precious I lost came back to me... But... I don't remember you at all... You are just... so familiar..."

Tsukiyama, slowly, raises his hand and touches Kaneki's cheek.

"I know I have met you before... but... where?"

"Not in this life, at least" jokes Kaneki.

" _Not in this life_ , uh..." Tsukiyama saddly smiles "It might be impossible but... it is not a bad thing to think. It is almost _romantico..._ That I have met you in another life _"_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
